Thursday 5 December 2013 - Top O'Selside

Emergency lighting at 5.30am signified a power cut. Wet and windy outside, it was soon dark again inside the Ghyll Head bungalow. A candle-lit breakfast of fruit salad and hot bread got us under way. 

Sue and I were joined by Roger and Barbara for a thirty minute drive through assorted debris to Nibthwaite car park. We then enjoyed a two hour tramp over Stang Hill, Arnsbarrow Hill and Top O'Selside. It was a little windy. We had to employ a crawling technique to reach the summits, though the rain abated and we enjoyed some winter sunshine. Today's image was gained, with some difficulty, on Stang Hill, with The Old Man of Coniston engulfed in thick cloud behind the summiteers.

We managed to rendezvous with the remaining seven Ghyll Headers, Peter and John having left for home yesterday. The Brown Horse Inn proved a suitable venue. Good food sourced within a three mile radius, and real ale brewed on the premises. 

Wednesday 4 December 2013 - A Saunter from Sadgill

On a fine, bright day, Sue and I eschewed the attractions of the final stage of East Lancashire LDWA's assault on the Thirlmere Way, in favour of a short walk from Sadgill Bridge. 

The forty minute drive from Ghyll Head passed quickly, and we parked by Sadgill Bridge (pictured) next to a sign that might make anyone thinking of proceeding further by car think twice.

The sun skittered in and out of the cloud all day, resulting in hasty, often futile, grabs for the camera, which on this trip is my waterproof Lumix FT4 as the Canon G12 has broken. Hopefully there will be some pleasant images - to be made available by way of an 'overview' posting about this trip once we get home. (My apologies to complainants about the brevity of this week's postings, but socialising has come first.)

Anyway, Sue and I headed up Longsleddale into an Arctic breeze, meeting a lone dog walker with two delightful puppies near Brownhowe Bottom. We saw nobody else all day, though our route did look well walked.

We were soon on a drier than expected path beside a fence, leading to the 664 metre summit of Tarn Crag on Sleddale Fell. I'd not been there before. There's a large survey tower, and excellent views in all directions, with the track over Gatesgarth Pass to Haweswater dominant in the foreground. 

The path to Harrop Pike wasn't as wet as expected, and the expansive views from that summit were rather better than on my cloudy visit in June last year. Sue is pictured here. 

The onward path to Grey Crag, where we enjoyed lunch, then Great Howe, seemed easier than last time,  perhaps because I wasn't carrying camping gear.

Finishing at Sadgill Bridge was also somewhat easier than continuing to Burneside!

A lovely walk in great weather - 11 km with about 540 metres ascent, in 3.5 hours.

Tuesday 3 December 2013 - Fairfield in Cloud

Whilst others wrestled with the intricacies and rendezvous logistics of the Thirlmere Way, Sue, Barbara and I enjoyed a five hour escapade from Grasmere. 

I don't think I've been up Seat Sandal before. A pleasant hill with a steep finale. It was cloudy on top.

Down and up to Fairfield took us past Grisedale Tarn and some long views to Ullswater.

Lunch was in a cloud on the summit of Fairfield, with a cheeky Raven for company.

Then we enjoyed the easy path over Great Rigg before dropping down a delightful path to Stone Arthur (pictured) and thence back to Grasmere by soon after 3pm. 

An excellent day out - approximately 13 km with 1000 metres ascent. 

Monday 2 December 2013 - A Dull Day in the Lake District

It was cloudy on the tops, so nine of our group of fourteen enjoyed a circular walk from Ghyll Head, where we arrived last night, featuring lunch at Wilf's Café in Staveley. 

It was an excellent day out, and very sociable to boot, despite the incessant trading of insults!

Saturday 30 November 2013 – Another Visit to Center Parcs

 

It’s that time of year.  We join eight friends for a day at Sherwood Forest’s Center Parcs complex.  This year we confused everyone by joining them for the Saturday, rather than our usual Sunday visit. We had to be somewhere else on Sunday.

After an easy drive from Timperley and a leisurely coffee in the village, Sue and I were joined by Louise and Chris at 9.30 for a bit of geocaching.  This is ‘Center Parcs’ geocaching, not the real thing.  It went quite well and we enjoyed a walk around the entire site looking for messages in bird boxes.  Sue even managed to master the use of the Garmin E-trex 10 GPS with which we were issued.  It has to be said we dawdled a bit and came second in the contest.  Possibly it was just as well that only two teams had entered!

Anyway, after a frantic session of American Pool, during which Louise blew away all opposition and was crowned champion of champions, the four geocachers went off to enjoy their second place prize, whilst the others did some strange drum beating exercise activity.  Stuart joined us for the 18 hole golf prize that we’d won, and was allowed to join our prize winning quartet, saving a total of £35 of entrance fees.  It was rather galling for the rest of us when he won.  The golf was simply crazy.

Lunch featured lettuce soup. Delicious.

Most of us then went swimming and played floodlit tennis after that. Some went swimming on bicycles (Aqua-Spinning).  It’s amazing what activities they think up here!

The house had a sauna, which most of us enjoyed, before a lavish barbecued dinner.  Roger was particularly hungry.

 

Thanks go to Robert, Lyn, Jim, Peggy, Stuart, Roger, Chris and Louise for putting up with us yet again for a rather full day, rounded off by our ‘Pyrenean Adventure’ slideshow before we sloped off to Alfreton’s Travelodge.

Thursday 28 November 2013 – Dog Walking with Heather

 

It had been a while since my last visit to Long Preston, so it was good to find Heather on good form.

One of her regular duties is the exercising of Millie and Daisy, two very good natured and well behaved spaniels belonging to a neighbour. They get on with Heather’s own dog, Rowan – a bouncy one-year-old.

Today’s 14 km circuit from Long Preston was one that has been described before on these pages. We set off on this occasion from near Long Preston’s church.

 

The morning passed quickly as we gobbled up the kilometres, pausing occasionally to pass the time with a selection of Heather’s neighbours.  Some stiles had to be negotiated, and my lack of skill in photographing people and animals is demonstrated below.

 

Before we knew it, we were back in Long Preston for a late lunch, then it was a swift return to Timperley for me, for dinner in the local students’ excellent Aspire Restaurant, with Sue, Amedea and Scott.

I may add route details later – I’m a bit pressed for time just now.

Tuesday 26 November 2013 – A Walk from Tideswell

I popped out to Tideswell and Monsal Head to check out a route – a worthwhile trip as I now have to shorten the plan.  We’d otherwise have a very late lunch on 8 December.

Anyway it was a good day for a walk – 18 km with about 800 metres ascent according to Anquet (further distance and less ascent per Garmin).

There were lots of ducks on the River Wye – Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Little Grebe, etc, and the riverside path by Cressbrook wasn’t too flooded.

Many of the trees have lost their leaves hereabouts, especially those higher up, as pictured above.  The leaf litter is still producing lovely colours though, even on overcast days like this one.

My route, starting from the Vanilla Kitchen in Tideswell, is shown below. It took me about four and a half hours, including a chat with Hannah at the Monsal Head Hotel.

Wednesday 20 November 2013 – A Medlock Meander

The weather forecast was terrible, so only the hardy turned up for this East Lancs LDWA midweek walk that I’d volunteered to lead. Five Plodders and a rather jolly couple from Glossop.

As it turned out, the weather was fine and sunny.  Most of the time.

The route started along the Bridgewater Canal in Stretford, where new signage for the Bridgewater Way glinted in the sunlight.

Here’s the view towards Sale - no barges today.

We set off under the bridge, towards Manchester, in an area where Canadian geese rule the towpath and the swans are used to being fed. After passing under the A56 road at Gorse Hill, a small canal basin with newly built houses was negotiated before reaching the canal junction in Old Trafford. Here we waited for a while as Bernard had failed to make the 10 am start time and might have rushed headlong to Worsley if we hadn’t paused to guide him over the bridge and onto the unrefined towpath that heads into central Manchester, linking the Bridgewater Canal with the Rochdale Canal. He soon joined us, perspiration from his valiant efforts to catch up dripping from him like a Chinese wrestler’s jock strap cooked in chip fat on a greasy afternoon.

The onward route normally passes containers stacked high in Trafford Park, as well as a large stadium, but currently a footpath diversion forces the towpath walker onto the busy roads of Trafford Park where, every May, the Manchester 10km race takes place.

The diversion did enable us to take a glance at some Trafford Park sculptures. Entitled "Skyhook" this is one of two 17 metre high hook and chain sculptures, unveiled in 1995 as part of the regeneration of the Trafford Park Industrial Estate.

The diversion re-joins the canal shortly before the towpath passes under, then over, Throstle Nest Bridge. I used to live very close by, with The Throstles Nest being our local watering hole.

Trams to and from Eccles rushed past as we continued relentlessly towards the city centre.

Beside Pomona Docks, only the graffiti gave away the fact that we were viewing an industrial, not a rural, scene.

Water, perhaps from the River Medlock, gushed from a culvert and under the canal, entering the River Irwell/Manchester Ship Canal.

The towpath headed under freshly painted bridges and over a lift bridge that must have seen much use over the years, towards Castlefield, where the canal basin is now overlooked by the Beetham Tower, and Merchants Bridge introduces a modern take on bridge architecture.

This area has been cleaned up quite impressively, and a heron was seen fishing from below the balcony of a new apartment block.

After a tea and cake break we made our way slowly past Dukes 92 (named after the lock number), and through the long Deansgate Tunnel, with the Beetham Tower slowly coming to dominate the aerial scene, overlooking the ubiquitous sight of a brightly painted duck house in the garden of a local MP.

New and renovated buildings in Manchester city centre are passed as the towpath approaches Oxford Road.

Behind Whitworth Street we passed an old mill chimney that has avoided demolition, then the towpath is briefly impassable as the canal proceeds through Manchester’s Gay Village.

The historic site of Sackville Gardens, with its modern ‘Time for Action’ sculpture, is soon reached, just near the old main building of UMIST, home to much scientific innovation and early computer development.

The towpath recommences at Minshull Street Bridge, built in 1806, and follows a trail of patterned bricks through the centre of Manchester to the horrid squalor of an underground route through Piccadilly.

The canal now divides, with our route on this occasion heading towards Ashton and leaving the Rochdale Canal to the Canadian geese.

Less restoration has taken place on the Ashton Canal.

But there are some new buildings, and a restored lift bridge, before the towpath passes attentive fishermen under the shadow of the City of Manchester Stadium.

Soon after passing under a water pipe, the provenance of which Reg would no doubt have expounded upon had he been present, we left the Ashton Canal and headed into Philips Park, 'one of Manchester's finest green spaces', opened in 1846 as one of the world's first municipal parks.

Here today’s team comprising Bonnie, Neil, Don, Bernard, Barbara, Clyde, and Martin (pictured above), lunched on some children’s picnic benches. No children were disturbed or photographed.

Philips Park witnessed our first encounter with the River Medlock, firmly confined within a deep culvert.

We traipsed through a massive multi-denomination cemetery across the river, before returning to the south side of the Medlock, where Philips Park gives way to Bank Bridge Meadow.

The towpath was no longer there to guide us, but there were plenty of footpath signs. Who knows where they all led to…

New singletrack mountain bike routes are also well signed, but I struggled to explain that they are forbidden to walkers.  Mountain bikers should enjoy a visit. Parking and bike washing facilities are available at the nearby Velodrome (National Cycling Centre).

Beyond Clayton Vale, narrow paths full of leaf litter continue beside the railway line, above Medlock Vale.

Our route took a strange turn in Clayton Vale, where only Bonnie and Barbara followed the correct path.

Others got stuck on what they thought was a giant roundabout controlled by a midget plumber.

Our path continued high above the river above Medlock Vale, and views towards our destination opened out.

Another canal was reached - the Hollinwood Canal, which links the Ashton Canal with tram roads from the Oldham coalfields.

The Hollinwood Canal has not yet been restored, though in places the towpath and canal are pretty much intact. Elsewhere, there are major obstacles to restoration. The M60 motorway, for example.

Berries glinted in the sunlight.

After crossing the motorway by a high footbridge, we were welcomed into Daisy Nook Country Park, where drinks and ice creams are always available, of which facilities we availed ourselves.

I should have paid more attention to the signage, as shortly after the Visitor Centre, with the distraction of Clyde’s intent on showing me how unlock the mysteries of my Satmap GPS unit, I took an inadvertent diversion to Crime Lake, when we were heading for Park Bridge!

Here, after the minor obstacle of the M60 motorway, the Hollinwood Canal continues on its merry way.

We passed a sculpture masquerading as a footbridge, or was it the other way around? And approaching journey's end, as the weak light faded, the River Medlock seemed to widen as we proceeded towards its source!

The light was just adequate for this final photo of woodland near Bardsley, on the edge of Oldham.

Then, with some of the team members showing signs of wear, (or should that be weary?) we joined a cycle route for the easy walk to Alexandra Park, before ultimately gravitating to the delights of Oldham Mumps Metrolink Station, by which time all bar Bernard and Barbara had peeled off onto alternative routes home.

The route - excluding diversions it's 24 km, but the GPS showed 28 km.

An excellent day out in surprisingly clement weather.  Thank you, everyone, for coming along, and please accept my apologies for the Crime Lake diversion, which can only be described as a *****.

Here’s a huge slideshow with a complete set of images.

Tuesday 26 November 2013 – Lindow (Wilmslow)

Last Tuesday evening was allocated to an 8 km walk around Lindow, in Wilmslow. It’s not far from home, so I decided to recce the route, which was planned to cover a few ‘new’ paths. The pictures in this posting are from that recce, which was more of a jog than a walk, as the 8.5 km were completed in a shade over an hour.

Black Lake, pictured above, is home to a wide range of wildlife, including water voles and great crested grebes. The plaque pictured below relates that the Common was purchased from the Countess of Stamford and Sir Humphrey de Trafford, and presented to the residents of Wilmslow in 1897.

In the hard times of the war years and subsequent decades, such places received little maintenance and became overgrown and unpleasant (perhaps not for the wildlife!).

By the 1980s Wilmslow’s prosperity was evident, and Lindow Common was recognised as a potential amenity, albeit adjacent to a huge peat farm which is still present (Lindow Moss). A restoration scheme resulted in the revival of the land and it was opened as a Nature Reserve in 1988.

It’s now a very pleasant area, especially with the autumn colours on these fine November days.

After heading down Battery Lane I found myself outside the Plough & Flail, which claims to be in Mobberley.

Returning to the Common, some of the trees looked wonderful in their autumn plumage.

My route is shown below – click on the link (‘View Details’) for more details.

Later on I was joined by Sue, Graham, Alistair and Andrew for the evening walk. It rapidly became clear that I’d not really been concentrating on the recce. The others noticed this when, 15 minutes after I’d so helpfully pointed out the plaque to them, we passed it again, having managed a complete lap of Black Lake.

Then we emerged from the Common and inadvertently proceeded down Newgate Lane rather than Battery Lane. This meant I would have to negotiate several boggy fields ‘in reverse’ compared with my recce. So I chickened out and fumbled my way round a more familiar, and much drier, route through the peat fields of the Moss.

It was a lovely moonlit evening, so nobody seemed to mind, though they did get a bit fed up when on re-entering the Common, I failed twice to find the car park, returning us each time to the wrong place on the perimeter of the Common.  So we gave up and took the road to the Boddington Arms, for welcome refreshments after about an hour and a half in the moonlight.

The route shown below benefits from Garmin converting my 6.8 km ‘track’ to a 5.3 km ‘route’. There must be some sort of ‘smoothing out’ software that has eliminated all the extra loops!

Great fun!

My next challenge will be to find my way up Shutlingsloe on Tuesday 17 December – leaving 7.30pm from Trentabank Car Park – all welcome.

Autumn in Timperley

Just to confirm I’m alive and well.

Darryl at the fish shop in Sale insisted that I publish this photo, taken today from the Bridgewater Canal towpath between Brooklands and Sale…

Reports on recent walks will follow in due course when various more urgent jobs have been completed.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Sunday 17 November 2013 - Moel-y-gest (again)

Today's continuing fair weather allowed Sue and me, and our guests R&J, to be joined by our 'fair weather walker' landlord for a clockwise circuit involving Moel-y-gest and Tremadog. Whilst low cloud and rain was visible all around us, Dave's assertion that it wouldn't rain remained sound!

From its eastern end, the kilometre long ridge of Moel-y-gest stretches towards Criccieth (pictured). A pack of hounds was eagerly searching the hill for a pre-prepared scent, tails wagging furiously despite their seemingly futile efforts. 

A car on Black Rock Beach seemed to be chasing the tide, and ravens chuckled at us from a rocky prominence. Shafts of yellow light illuminated the sea beyond Harlech, and the day was much clearer than of late, with views below the low cloud all the way to the Pembroke coastline. 

It's a rocky, slightly scrambly ridge, particularly slippery today, so the others retraced by a lower route before we all descended by the northern slopes.

We managed to locate a path missed on Monday, and returned on an easy route with lots of bird life, via Tremadog and the harbour's inner pond.

This final stroll of the trip covered about 12 km, with 300 metres ascent, in around 4 hours.

Then we had a pot of tea and went home. Others have to go to work; I have to deal with some book orders. 

A summary and slide show may follow. 

Saturday 16 November 2013 - Mynydd Anelog and Mynydd Rhiw

Jon left for Gairloch after breakfast, from where he plans to visit the Hebridean island of Longa tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, R&J had arrived last night, with armfuls of alcohol that is now severely depleted.

The Lleyn Peninsula was on the promised agenda, so that's where we headed. Just as well, as the higher sanctuaries of Snowdonia were engulfed by low cloud. 

The walk up Mynydd Anelog from a chapel to the south was short and uneventful. Apart from the sun dispatching searchlight like beams in an attempt to locate Bardsey Island.

The upper picture shows Bardsey from the summit, with ripping currents and a flashing lighthouse. 

A mum with two children arrived just as we left to descend through late flowering but very wind stunted gorse. Soon we were on the Wales Coast Path, heading south. Like most coast paths, this one undulated strenuously between rocky shores and precipitous cliffs.

Lunch was taken in a strange place next to a grassy meadow, selected by Sue shortly after we'd passed a well preserved coastguard's cottage that was closed in 1990.

Then a short road walk past some Brummies who had mislaid the coast path, some Aussies amused by our indecision and a woman who seemed amused by everything, saw us back at the car after this 8 km circuit with 250 metres ascent, in around 3 hours.

A brief transit found us parked up on a wide lane in Rhiw, from where the ascent of Mynydd Rhiw would be arduous in a hurricane with cows blowing past at 60 mph. In today's benign conditions however, we reached the summit in thirty minutes. In the dull conditions photography was rather challenging, so I've filtered the image of the summit view.

Continuing in a clockwise circuit, a selection of encounters featured friendly locals, blocked paths, surprised snipes, crow mobbed buzzards, ancient cromlechs, burial chambers and axe factories, multi coloured sheep, a deep bog on another brush with the Wales Coast Path, and gradually fading light, not to mention a few brummies.

The afternoon's tally was another 9 km, with 250 metres ascent, in around 2.5 hours.

This was a fine day out in a beautiful part of the world. 

Friday 15 November 2013 - Mynydd Mawr and Moel Tryfan

A grey day with cloud slowly descending over Snowdonia drew us to these two modest hills. It was a wise choice. We escaped the cloud and enjoyed another rain free day.

After parking opposite the chapel in Drws-y-coed, a pleasant switchback path guided us gently up Mynydd Mawr. We were the only people on today's hills. From the summit ridge we enjoyed fine views across the precipitous crags of Craig y Bere to the Nantlle ridge (pictured).

Lunch on the 698 metre summit was followed by an amble north west towards the disused quarries and mines of Moel Tryfan. The descending layer of cloud pursued us relentlessly. 

Moel Tryfan (pictured below) is a HuMP (hundred metre prominence). Jon 'collects' them. It's a fine hill with a distinctive rocky prominence.  Charles Darwin visited on 26 June 1842. The hill has played a part in the development of the Glacial Theory, as it has been established that during the Ice Age, 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, the Irish Sea ice and the Welsh ice vied for position in this area.

On our approach to the huge cleft left by the mining, we came upon a rock labyrinth reminiscent of that in Kate Mosse's eponymous book. Sue then proved it was actually a maze, by wrestling her way to the centre. 

A short walk down to the small village of Fron, past grotty farms and fly-tipped debris, as well as copious remnants of quarrying activities, got us back to the B4418 at Nantlle, from where a short walk found us back at the car. 

We'd enjoyed an excellent 15 km circuit, with about 700 metres ascent, taking around 5.5 hours.

Thursday 14 November 2013 - Moel-y-gest (262 metres)

This fine little hill overlooking Porthmadog makes for an interesting half day excursion. 

Today I chose the north eastern ascent route from the A497, rising steeply through woodland before reaching a low crest at around 100 metres. Then an undulating path, with optional scrambling, rises to the main summit ridge. It's all of a kilometre along the rocky ramparts to the summit cairn. At only 262 metres, it's a hill that punches far above its weight. 

Good views towards Snowdonia's high peaks (pictured) vie with those over Tremadog Bay, albeit the latter is somewhat blighted by Black Rock Sands' massive caravan park. 

A lone person following me up had disappeared by the time I turned to leave the summit, on a fine afternoon with surprisingly little of the forecast wind.

The path was easily misplaced, so for the second day running my descent took rather longer than my ascent, which today had occupied just an hour. 

Heading down the south east slopes past lingering blooms of heather, I passed through an area of static caravans before descending to the Wales Coast Path beyond Garth, passing posh houses and Madog Boat Yard before reaching the cottage shortly before dusk and rain set in.

Two minutes later Jon and Sue arrived from a day of 'hill bagging' on the Lleyn Peninsula, where they had found some cool, strong winds. 

My walk had been about 7 km, with 300 metres ascent, taking 2.5 hours.

Very satisfying after a longish drive with a selection of obstacles provided first by a cloud burst and then by flash rally cars masquerading as Sunday afternoon chicanes!

Wednesday 13 November - The Great Outdoors Awards 2013

An SOS from car less Carey saw me picking him up from BMC HQ in Didsbury and wrestling with the M60's rush hour traffic, arriving eventually at Burgundy's Wine Bar too late for any meaningful nibbles but in plenty of time for the free bar.

It was good to catch up with Carey, who I probably hadn't seen since our 2011 trip to Turkey.  Though the long tale of woe concerning his lost car keys was rather painful to hear.

I was representing both Bridge of Gaur Guest House and Alpenstock, Stockport's premier outdoors retailer, at the awards ceremony. Neither expected to receive awards; their 'award' being the satisfaction of being nominated, then shortlisted together with other worthy contenders.

Others needed consoling when their names didn't feature in Daniel and Emily's double act. They are pictured above during the ceremony (devious editing has been required given my phone's inadequate flash).

I'll insert details of the winners when I get home, but for me this event is more an opportunity to enjoy a beer with old friends and new. It was good to see Andy Howell, who had been so generous in his review of my book, and much of the evening was spent with Sue and Ali, who were so disappointed when their Newtonmore Independent Hostel failed to gain the Best Accommodation award.

A nearby Italian restaurant came to the culinary rescue for eight of us, leaving Emily stranded in the foodless wine bar. The Great Outdoors Magazine's editor, newly returned from maternity leave, had others to please.

All in all, an excellent evening, well worth the effort of attending. 

Wednesday 13 November 2013 - Moel y Dyniewyd

Whilst Jon and Sue headed south to bag one of Jon's few remaining Welsh Marilyns, I headed to Beddgelert for what I planned to be a short stroll up to the sub 400 metre summit of Moel y Dyniewyd. 

The soft early morning sunlight was soon replaced by duller conditions as cloud swept in from the south west. But it didn't rain. I headed from a convenient lay-by past Sygun Copper Mine - closed, but its miniature waterwheel was whirring energetically - along a good path signed to Cwm Bychan.

Fires and an area of hillside that appeared to be a scene of devastation were explained by a National Trust sign: "We are working to clear the rhododendron ponticum that is taking over the hillside and killing the native plants."

Grib Ddu was soon reached, from which my targeted summit wasn't much more than a further kilometre, over fairly rough but not unpleasant ground. There are lots of paths hereabouts, very few of which are marked on my Harveys 1:40000 map. I seemed to bypass most of them, and my route also included some scrambling. 

So it was a pleasure to reach the summit after an hour and a half, just beating the cloud that was billowing in. Today's photo was taken from that summit, looking in the Nantmor direction.

Time for elevenses in a sheltered spot that obviated the need to supplement my t-shirt and fleece with anything windproof. 

I'd expected a quick descent, but I missed the path to Beddgelert and finished up traversing the ridge to Nantmor. An interesting route, with steep crags blocking any descent to the west, and with a final descent beside a high wall over precipitous ground, finally emerging on the Cym Bychan path that would have been a more sensible and much safer option. I reached that path with some relief, as the other elderly gents on the hill had disappeared, as had the search and rescue helicopter that had been monitoring my progress down the cliff.

A pleasant stroll from Aberglaslyn, beside Afon Glaslyn, with foamy water and autumn colours trying hard to be vibrant under the grey sky, saw me back in Beddgelert by 1.30 pm after this 11.5 km stroll with about 400 metres ascent, in a shade under 4 hours.

Tuesday 12 November 2013 (pm) - Manod Mawr

A surprise car park on the outskirts of Blaenau Ffestiniog provided an excellent base for this afternoon's ascent of Manod Mawr. 

It was a blazing hot summer's afternoon. Seemed like it anyway. A narrow path led east from Congl-y-wal through farmland. A long conversation with the elderly farmer and his weary sheepdog revealed that he had been up here yesterday trying to round up his sheep in the fog. Today he was able to find them.

After helpfully pointing out our route, Farmer Jones sidled off on his ATV and left us to the mercy of the gently ascending path. 

There was a direct route, but in deference to Jon's health we didn't take it. 

Slate quarries dominated the scene.  Allt-fawr and its serpentine ridge were lit by the afternoon sun to our west. Llyn Manod came and went. A Snowdonian panorama was displayed before us, albeit with the occasional doormat of cloud. 

Various birds of indeterminate breeds teased us with their intermittent presence. Plovers? Perhaps not. 

Large chunks of erratic quartz littered the hill, providing easy landmarks by which to descend by the same route. At the 661 metre summit a defunct trig point revealed its survey bolt still in position despite the pillar being long gone.

The silence was broken as we descended. Two fighter jets practicing dog fighting vied with the local quarry's blasting intentions. 

Q: Was that a sonic boom or a sonic blast?

A: Thunder.

After that we romped back down to the car park, completing our walk of 7 km and 400 metres ascent in around 2.5 hours, in very pleasing late afternoon light.

Sue's a rare, if not reluctant, cook. All credit to her for the excellent turkey burgers she prepared later.